Kenny Jones re-elected Kerry IFA chair by single vote

Kenny Jones has been re-elected chair of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) in Co. Kerry by a single vote.

IFA national returning officer Martin Stapleton told the Kerry IFA annual general meeting (AGM) in the Manor West Hotel in Tralee last night (Monday, April 24) that Jones had secured 87 votes, while the other candidate, Kenneth O’Connell, a dairy farmer from Lixnaw, received 86 votes.

The winning ballot had been queried during the count but Stapleton ruled that the vote was valid and intended for Jones.

He explained that the vote, which was made public, was marked ‘1’ for Jones and ‘2’ for O’Connell, both figures were crossed out and an ‘X’ was placed for Kenny Jones.

Election

Kenny Jones told Agriland that he was thrilled to be re-elected, even on the tightest of margins.

“It might be a bit too close but it’s still great to win. I’m delighted to have another two years hopefully trying to solve farmers’ problems.

“There’s three or four new officers elected here tonight. I’m looking forward to working with them. Forward we need to look now, not backwards.

“I hope at my next officers’ meeting, which I hope to hold shortly, that we could maybe put a plan in place and move forward,” the dairy farmer from Kielduff said.

“Every person I rang with the past ten days said that they want to move forward and to see this county executive up and running again.

“We have 5,000 members in this county, which is one of the bigger executives, and they want action,” Jones added.

Kenneth O’Connell (left) congratulates Kenny Jones on his re-election as Kerry IFA chair

Following the announcement, Kenneth O’Connell congratulated Jones on his victory and appealed to IFA members to back the newly re-elected county chair.

“In the interest of the executive within the county, we have a winner here tonight. He’s got my support. You have to be governed by the ballot.

“He’s the chairman, either row in behind him or forget about the whole thing,” O’Connell said before shaking hands with Jones.

IFA National Returning Officer, Martin Stapleton (left) who oversaw the Kerry IFA elections

The casting of votes was delayed and the meeting was briefly suspended as several people in attendance strenuously objected to Martin Stapleton overseeing the election.

The objections related to how Stapleton and IFA headquarters had dealt with a formal complaint lodged by Kenny Jones against several members of the Kerry county executive last summer.

Following the complaint, former Kerry vice-chair and sheep chair, John Joe Fitzgerald left the IFA entirely, while the county dairy chair Michael O’Dowd was banned by IFA National Council from holding an officer position for four years.

The complaint related mainly to messages posted in the Kerry IFA messaging groups, and to messages sent directly to Jones.

Both Fitzgerald and O’Dowd have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

The issue has caused a deep division within Kerry IFA in recent months and has also impacted the workings of the association in the county.

The meeting was punctuated by numerous heated and, at times, emotional exchanges.

Kerry IFA

During last night’s AGM Billy Dee became Kerry IFA vice-chair, John O’Sullivan was named county secretary and Mary Fleming retained her position as executive council delegate (second representative).

Owen O’Sullivan was elected chair of the county’s dairy committee, Eamon Horgan will take over as sheep committee chair and Tommy Culloty is the new environment committee chair.

Following the AGM, the full Kerry IFA county executive is as follows: